


The carp and the minnow

by eviljoey



Category: Spies Are Forever - Talkfine/Tin Can Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fishing, Fluff, Not Canon Compliant, barb lavernor - Freeform, saf, spies are forever - Freeform, tati - Freeform, tatiana slozho, tatibarb - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27121475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eviljoey/pseuds/eviljoey
Summary: On a group camping trip, Tatiana and Barb spend some time talking about their feelings.
Relationships: Barb Lavernor/Tatiana Slozhno
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	The carp and the minnow

“Alright everyone, pull out your thermoses and get out those marshmallows! We’re gonna have some fun!” Curt was walking around their campsite, “overseeing” Owen, who was pitching one tent, Tati, who was pitching the other, and Barb, who was looking over the food supplies they’d brought.  
“Hey Barb, did you pack--”

  
“Yep!”

  
“And the--”

  
“mmhm.”

  
“Oh, then can I have some--”

  
“Here!” Without looking up, she broke off a square from the chocolate bar she’d brought and passed it to him. He took it giddily and managed to mumble out a thanks between mouthfuls.

  
Barb hadn’t been able to look at him the same recently, not since she visited Tati when she was staying at his apartment. Falling asleep in her arms, hearing her sigh as the sun came up...it evoked a new, foreign emotion she’d never felt before. Tatiana swore not to tell Curt about her visit, and based on Curt’s silence around the issue, Barb assumed she’d kept her word.

  
She still needed to act like her usual, chipper, love-sick self in order to keep suspicions down. That’s why, when Curt called for a gang camping trip, she was all in. She figured maybe studying the wildlife would distract her, and maybe sleeping in nature would help get the smell of Tatiana off of her skin.

Barb didn’t realize Tatiana would be coming along, and she nearly collapsed when she realized that Curt and Owen had only packed two tents.

Now, as they were setting up, Tatiana moved away from the newly pitched tent and towards Barb.

“Do we have everything we need?”

  
“Yes.” She tried to keep the tremble out of her voice.

  
Even still, Tatiana squatted down next to Barb and surveyed the supplies laid out in front of them.

  
“We don’t need to eat...whatever that is.” She gestured to the canned hot dogs. “I brought a fishing rod. I’ve been trying to learn it, as a...how you say, hobby.”

  
“You fish?” Barb couldn’t help a smile from spreading across her face. “You know, I haven’t had the time to study the local fish around here.”

  
“Well, I will let you know when I go to catch dinner.”

  
“Hey! Those hot dogs are an essential part of the camping experience!” Curt called out from where he was standing with Owen.

  
“Curt, love, nobody likes them. Tatiana, dear, if you do end up catching something, then we all owe you.” Owen flashed Tati a smile; she just nodded in return.

The sun was beginning to set, and Tati wanted to go out fishing before it got too dark. Owen had managed to start a fire “with Curt’s help”, and the two were relaxing and reminiscing about old missions when Barb and Tati made their way down through the woods and to the river.

  
Tatiana sat down on a rock, humming to herself as she opened up the bait box and attached a minnow to the end of the line.

  
“Oh, that’s a Phoxinus, right?”

  
“It is a minnow.”

  
“Yeah, th-that’s what I meant.” _Damnit,_ Barb shook her head. _You know damn well this isn’t about studying the fish, so stop with all the jargon!_

  
“Is that the scientific word for minnow?” Tatianna asked, dropping the line into the rushing river.

  
“Yes, actually. Phoxinus Phoxinus. They’re related to carp’s, weirdly enough, and--” She cut herself off before she could go on a tangent.

  
“Carp...I have caught a few of those. They are hard to reel in.” Tati smiled and stared down into the river. “I would not expect a baby minnow to be related to that beast.”

  
“Well, science can surprise you, sometimes.” Barb smiled at Tati, who laughed softly in response. Barb was thankful the sun was going down, so there was less of a chance for Tatianna to see the blush spreading across her face.

  
Suddenly, Tati felt the line begin to tug underneath her. She focused her attention fully on the pole, narrowing her eyes as she began to reel in with slow determination.  
Barb couldn’t tear her eyes away from the expression on her face.

“Dinner!” Barb called, her face illuminated by the soft firelight as she walked back carrying a fish. Tati carried another-a carp, ironically- and a grin was spread across her face. She sat down across from Curt, pulled out a knife, and began slicing open the fish she just caught. Barb sat down silently next to her, watching Tati’s face the entire time.

  
“So Barb, did you see anything cool?”

  
Barb was too focused on the cool resoluteness that lurked within Tatiana’s eyes.

  
“Barb?” Curt leaned over, snapping over the fire to try and get her attention. “Hello? Earth to Barb?”

  
“What? Oh, yeah, uh, it was fun.” Truthfully, Barb hadn’t heard his question at all.

  
Curt nestled into Owen. “I don’t know what’s up with her,” he whispered.

  
Owen chuckled. “Maybe she’s outgrowing you, love.”

After the group had eaten their fish, roasted marshmallows, and told enough scary stories to keep them awake for months, Curt and Owen retired to their tent. They were exhausted, considering they’d had work every day except today. They were looking forward to just settling down in the tent and falling asleep.

  
Barb and Tati, however, made no move to retreat from the fire. Barb was still staring at Tatiana and the way that the fire accentuated the shadows on her face and made her features look even more angular.

  
“You are staring again.”

  
“Sorry…”

  
“Do not be sorry,” Tati smiled, “I think it is adorable.”

  
“Wh-?” Barb averted her gaze to the sky and searched for constellations. Anything to keep her mind and eyes from wandering to the redhead. When she looked up, however, she found that the sky looked even more vast and close than at home.

  
“Woah…”

  
Tatiana looked up too, her jaw-dropping silently. She’d never taken the time to look up at the stars since she was always on the run from someone or another.  
I’ve never seen the sky like this before...look, there’s the big dipper!” Barb pointed to the collection of stars forming a spoon.

  
“The big what?”

  
“You don’t know what the big dipper is?” Barb glanced at her, “okay, so you see that star right there? That star and the two stars next to it form the handle. And then you see that bright star right across from the handle? That forms the edge of the spoon, and if you go back to the left you can see the star that connects the top of the spoon to the handle. And then those two stars underneath are the bottom parts of the spoon!” Barb was gesturing with her fingers, but Tatiana was staring at her the entire time.

  
“I know what the big dipper is.” Tatiana took Barb’s hand that had been pointing at the sky and rubbed the top of it with her thumb. “I just like hearing you talk.”

  
“Oh.”

  
“If you are not ready, then--”

  
“No, I am. I want to try this.” Barb had given it a lot of thought, and she wanted to try something with Tatiana. Anything. “I get that it may not be perfect at first. I’m still working through my own issues. But something about this...just feels right.”

  
Tatiana moved her hand from Barb’s to cup her face. “How will we do, how do you say, long-distance?”

  
“I don’t care.” Barb was melting at her touch, and couldn’t control her mouth anymore. “I don’t care what we do. We don’t have to put a label on this right now. I just want to be here with you.”

  
Tatiana leaned forward, gently bringing Barb in for a soft, slow kiss. When she finally pulled away, she saw that Barb had softly closed the lids of her eyes, and her lips were still slightly pursed and parted as if hoping for another kiss.

  
“That works with me.” Tatiana led Barb back to the tent, and Barb began to fidget. Were they already going to have sex? Now? Everything was moving so fast…

  
As if reading her mind, Tatiana threw Barb’s pajamas at her before gathering up her own.

  
“I won’t look. Do not worry, I understand this will take time.”

  
Barb nodded and quickly changed into her nightgown. Tatiana, now dressed in sweatpants and sweatshirt, laid down in her sleeping bag, put her arms behind her head, and shut her eyes.

About an hour passed, and Tatiana was fast asleep, snoring slightly. Barb, however, was still wide awake. The lack of whirring machines, the memories of the scary stories shared only hours prior, the chill that had made its way into her bones, it was all too much. Not to mention the fact that her now possible girlfriend was sleeping only a few feet away.

  
At the sound of a twig breaking outside the tent, Barb let out a gasp. She thought she was being quiet enough not to disturb Tatiana, but when she heard her moan and saw her figure stretch, Barb realized she was mistaken.

  
“Barb? What is wrong?”

  
“Nothing, I just thought I heard something. Go back to sleep.”

  
“Would you like me to go check?”

  
“No, I--” God, this was so stupid. She was already embarrassing herself in front of Tatiana. “I’m fine. I’m really sorry.”

  
Tatiana was quiet for a moment.

  
“You know, there is room in my sleeping bag for another person.”

  
“What? I wouldn’t want to bother--”

“Barb, I do not want you to be scared.”

  
Barb hesitantly stood up and walked over, managing to shimmy herself into the sleeping bag next to Tatiana. She instantly warmed up upon being pressed up against her, and the sound of Tati’s breathing seemed to cure her yearning to hear her machines. Plus, when she felt Tati’s hand wrap around her waist, she felt safer than she’d ever felt in her life.

  
She slept like a baby.


End file.
